General Surgery
Even though general surgery covers common ailments, it is still considered a specific type of surgical discipline. General surgery includes a core knowledge of anatomy, physiology, metabolism, immunology, nutrition, pathology, wound healing, and other areas common to all surgical specialties. In laymen’s terms, general surgeons treat diseases related to the abdomen, breast, head and neck, blood vessels, digestive tract, injuries, deformities, and other conditions.
Below is a list of the most common types of general surgery that our general surgeons in Nashville treat on a day-to-day basis.
APPENDECTOMY
When the appendix becomes blocked and ruptures, it puts the body at risk for severe infections and causes significant pain. The only way to prevent harmful and even deadly infection from appendicitis is through appendix removal surgery, or appendectomy.
Depending on the needs of the patient, our general surgeons will perform either an open appendectomy or a laparoscopic appendectomy.
Open appendix removal surgery typically requires a slightly longer hospital stay after the procedure. An incision is made in the abdomen and the appendix is removed.
A laparoscopic procedure allows the patient to recover more quickly due to smaller incisions and precise appendix removal. 1 to 3 small cuts are made in the abdomen and a small camera and surgical tools are inserted. The appendix can be removed this way through one of the incisions.
COLON SURGERY
Medically referred to as colectomy or colon resectioning, focuses on removing either part or all of your colon in order to prevent or address harmful medical conditions. Our general surgeons typically perform colon resectioning for patients who are at risk for, or who experience one of the following medical concerns:
- Bowel Obstructions
- Colon Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Crohn’s Disease
- Diverticulitis
- Ulcerative Colitis
Colon resectioning can also be used to remove entire sections of the colon where several precancerous colon polyps have developed.
Resectioning can be performed in either open surgery or laparoscopic surgery.